Report on Elderly Drivers Sent to Legislature, Posted on Website

CONTACT: Robert SanchezPublic Information Administrator

February 9, 2004

A report titled The Effects of Aging on Driving Ability has been submitted to the Legislature and is posted on the Website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles at www.flhsmv.gov/ddl/atriskdriver.pdf

The report evolved from the deliberations of the Florida At-Risk Driver Council over the past five months. The 28-member council was chaired by Dr. Ken Brummel-Smith of the Florida State University College of Medicine. It included representatives of state agencies, the medical profession, senior citizens’ advocacy groups, providers of services to senior citizens, and university-based research centers. The council’s members are listed in the report.

The legislation creating the council, Senate Bill 52, was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Stephen R. Wise, R-Jacksonville, and in the House by Rep. Irving L. Slosberg, D-Boca Raton. SB 52 also required that drivers over the age of 79 pass a vision test before renewing their driver license. That requirement took effect on January 1, 2004.

"We know that Florida's older adult population has positively impacted our state, both socially and economically," said Terry White, secretary of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs and council member. "We are committed to addressing the safety and self-sufficiency of Florida's elder drivers."

“We greatly appreciate the council’s work,” said Fred O. Dickinson, Executive Director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “In a relatively short time, the council’s members brought their knowledge and experience to bear on a set of complex issues that will be increasingly important in the years ahead as the population of senior citizens rises dramatically.”